Winch system

ABSTRACT

A manually operated winch system secures cargo to a transport vehicle. The winch system has a shaft rotationally mounted relative a frame. A ratchet drive mechanism controls rotation of the shaft. A handle received in the drive mechanism can be used both to control rotation of the shaft and to control operation of a pawl. The drive mechanism is configured such that tilting the handle moves a member axially. Sufficient axial movement of the member causes the pawl to disengage mating ratchet teeth and thereby allows the shaft to rotate freely.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation-in-part of application No. 09/633,455, filed Aug.7, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6.558,092. which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/147,521, filed Aug. 5, 1999, both ofwhich prior applications are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

This disclosure concerns manually operated winches. In particular, thedisclosure concerns winches of the type used to secure cargo ontransplant vehicles such as trucks, trailers, railcars, ships andairplanes.

When heavy or bulky cargo needs to be secured for transport, it iscommon to use elongated members such as chains, ropes or belts to securethe cargo in place. The elongated members are typically tightened byhand-operated winches. For example, on a trailer designed to transportautomobiles, it is typical to secure each automobile by means of a chainthat is tightened by a hand-operated winch. Examples of prior winchesare described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,038,740, 5,145,299, 5,180,262, and5,314,275. Although such winches may have served their purposes, theyhave not been the most convenient or safe to operate.

Prior winches typically include a ratchet mechanism that can hold anelongated member taut. But, when an operator wishes to release tensionon the elongated member, it is typically necessary for the operator touse one hand to operate a release lever while using the other hand toprevent the winch from free-spooling. This two-handed operation can bedangerous in cases where cargo has shifted during transit or ispositioned such that it will move by gravity when the ratchet mechanismis released. For example, automobiles on transport trailers aretypically positioned on ramps that are not horizontal so that gravitywill urge an automobile to roll when its securing chain is detensioned.Typically, when unloading an automobile transporter vehicle, theoperator must use one hand to release a winch ratchet mechanism whileusing the other hand to hold a handle in order to inhibit rotation of awinch spool on which the chain is wound. Thus, if an automobile beginsto roll too rapidly, the operator may find it necessary to slow themovement of the automobile by resisting rotation of the winch spoolsingle-handedly.

It can also be a problem that the release lever of a typical winch isnot always easy to operate. If cargo has shifted during transit, a greatdeal of force may be exerted by the elongated member, which torques theshaft of the winch spool. This torque can jam elements of the ratchetmechanism into tight engagement so that a manually operated releaselever is difficult to move. In such a situation, the operator may needto counter-rotate or back-off the spool a short distance in order tooperate the release lever. When separate hands must be used to rotatethe spool and operate the release lever, it is unnecessarily difficultto perform this operation.

Accordingly, there remains a need for winch mechanisms that can beoperated easily, particularly ones that do not require the operator touse separate hands for separate operations.

Features and advantages of new winch systems will be understood byreference to the following detailed description and to the drawings towhich it refers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an oblique view of a portion of a trailer for transportingautomobiles, including a winch system.

FIG. 2A is a vertical, sectional view of the winch system shown in FIGS.1 showing a pawl in an engaged position.

FIG. 2B is a vertical, sectional view taken along line 2B—2B of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 2C is a vertical, sectional view of the winch system shown in FIGS.1 showing the pawl in a disengaged position.

FIG. 2D is a vertical, sectional view taken along line 2D—2D of FIG. 2C.

FIG. 3 is an oblique view of a second winch system.

FIG. 4A is a vertical, sectional view of a third winch system.

FIG. 4B is a vertical, sectional view taken along line 4B—4B of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5 is a vertical, sectional view of a fourth winch system.

FIG. 6 is a vertical, sectional view of a fifth winch system.

FIG. 7A is a vertical, sectional view of a sixth winch system.

FIG. 7B is a vertical, sectional view taken along line 7B—7B of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8A is a vertical, sectional view of a seventh winch system.

FIG. 8B is an oblique view of the winch system shown in FIG. 8A.

FIG. 8C is an exploded view of the winch system shown in FIGS. 8A and8B.

FIG. 9A is a vertical, plan view of an eighth winch system.

FIG. 9B is an oblique view of the winch system shown in FIG. 9A.

FIG. 9C is a vertical, sectional view taken along line 9C—9C of FIG. 9Ashowing a pawl in an engaged position.

FIG. 9D is a vertical, sectional view taken along line 9C—9C of FIG. 9Ashowing the pawl in a disengaged position.

FIG. 10A is an oblique view of a tenth winch system.

FIG. 10B is a bottom plan view of the tenth winch system with a centralshaft assembly in a first position, with portions in section to showinternal structure.

FIG. 10C is a bottom plan view of the tenth winch system with a centralshaft assembly in a second position, with portions in section to showinternal structure.

FIG. 10D is a bottom plan view of the tenth winch system installed belowthe deck of an automobile carrier vehicle, with portions in section toshow internal structure.

FIG. 11A is a bottom plan view of an eleventh winch system installedbelow the deck of an automobile carrier vehicle, with portions insection to show internal structure.

FIG. 11B is a partial vertical elevational view of the eleventh winchsystem, with portions in section to show internal structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Winches are used to secure cargo to transport vehicles and for otherpurposes. In FIGS. 1-2 a winch system 20 is shown mounted to a frame 24of a cargo carrying vehicle, in particular an automobile transporttrailer. The cargo, for example automobiles, is secured to the transportvehicle by an elongated member 26. In the illustrated embodiment, theelongated member is a chain, but the elongated member could also be ofanother appropriate material such as rope, fabric webbing, cable, orwire rope. One end 28 of the elongated member is secured to a winchspool shaft 30. The other end 29 of the elongated member 26 is free sothat the elongated member can be secured to the cargo, for example anautomobile. Or the elongated member 26 can extend over or around thecargo with the free end 29 used to secure the elongated member toanother portion of the transporting vehicle so that the elongated memberencircles a portion of the cargo and holds it in place against the frameprovided by the vehicle. Used in this second way, a winch can secure acargo container or lumber, for example, to a railroad car, truck bed, ordeck of a ship (not shown).

The shaft 30 is rotationally mounted relative to the frame 24. The shaft30 can rotate about an axis A₁ of rotation to wrap the elongated member26 around the shaft 30. The winch system 20 has a drive system 34secured to the shaft 30 to control the rotation of the shaft.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-2, the drive system 34 is a unitary body 36having a generally cylindrical exterior surface 37 that is coaxial withthe axis A₁. The surface 37 defines a ring or series of ratchet teeth 38evenly spaced around the axis A₁. The body 36 is mounted so that it canslide axially relative to the shaft 30 but can not rotate relative tothe shaft 30 such that, when the body 36 is rotated about the axis A₁,the shaft 30 also rotates as indicated by curved arrows in FIGS. 2B and2D. This is accomplished by providing a head or button 42 welded to anend of the shaft 30. The head 42 has a peripheral surface 44 that iscylindrical, is hexagonal in cross section, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2D,and is at least partially received inside an axially extending cavity 46defined inside the body 36 by an interior surface 48. The surface 48 isa cylinder having a hexagonal cross section of slightly largerdimensions than those of the surface 44. The hexagonal surface 44 andhexagonal surface 48 are sized and shaped to mate with each other sothat the head 42 can move axially relative to the body 36, and such thatthe shaft 30 must rotate with the head 36. It will be appreciated thatthe cross-sections of the cylindrical surfaces 44, 48 need not behexagonal in shape, but could be any other pair of mating cylindricalshapes, such as pentagons or more complex shapes (not shown), that allowthe body of 36 to move axially, but not rotate independently of theshaft 30.

A pawl 50 is rotationally mounted on the frame 24 so that it can rotateabout an axis A₂ between two positions. In FIGS. 2A and 2B, the pawl 50is shown in an engaged position wherein the pawl engages the series ofratchet teeth 38 such that the shaft 30 can rotate only in onedirection. The pawl 50 can be rotated about the axis A₂ to a disengagedposition, for example as shown in FIGS. 2C and 2D, wherein the pawl doesnot engage the series of ratchet teeth 38. When the pawl 50 is in thedisengaged position, the shaft 30 can rotate in both directions asillustrated by the two-headed arrow in FIG. 2D.

The pawl 50 has a contact surface that, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-2,is an edge 52 on the side of the pawl nearest the frame 24. The body 36has a pawl-engaging surface 54 positioned to engage the contact surface52. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-2, there are multiple pawl-engagingsurfaces 54 provided by ramps located at the inner ends of valleys 56defined between the teeth 38. As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 2A and2B to FIGS. 2C and 2D, the body 36 is mounted so that the pawl-engagingsurfaces 54 can move axially relative to the shaft 30 between a firstlocation shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B and a second location shown in FIGS.2C and 2D.

When the body 36 is in the first location, the pawl 50 is in the engagedposition. When the body 36 is moved to the second location shown inFIGS. 2C and 2D, the contact surface 52 of the pawl 50 rides up, awayfrom the axis A₁, on one of the ramps 54 such that movement of thepawl-engaging surfaces 54 between their first and second locationscauses the pawl 50 to rotate between the engaged and disengagedpositions.

The drive system 34 also has a handle-engaging portion 60. Theillustrated handle-engaging portion 60 includes a series of radialopenings 62 that are defined by interior surfaces 64 and are sized andshaped to receive a rod-like handle 66 that may be inserted by anoperator through a pair of opposed openings 62. Each opening 62 has alength L measured parallel to the axis A₁ and a width W measuredperpendicular to a plane (not shown) that bisects the opening andincludes the axis A₁. The length L is greater than the width W. Ideally,the length L is considerably larger than the diameter of the handle 66,whereas the width W is only slightly larger than the diameter of thehandle 66. Thus, when a handle 66 is inserted into openings 62, thehandle can move axially through the openings parallel to the axis A₁ toa limited extent, and can not rotate to any great extent relative to thebody 36 about the axis A₁.

When a handle is inserted into the body 36, the operator can use thehandle to apply rotational force in the directions shown by arrows inFIGS. 2B and 2D. The force is transmitted from the handle to the shaft30 via the body 36. Thus, by applying a torquing force to the handle 66,the operator will urge the shaft 30 to rotate.

The handle 66 can also be used as a lever (first or second classdepending on the direction of tilt) to transmit axially directed forcethat causes the pawl-engaging surfaces 54 to move from their firstlocations to their second locations. When the handle 66 is tilted towardor away from the frame 24 so that the longitudinal axis A₃ of the handlechanges in angle relative to the axis A₁, a portion of the handle 66pushes on the head 42 while another portion of the handle 66 pushes onan interior surface 64 that defines one of the radial openings 62. Thus,in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-2, tilting the handle 66 toward or awayfrom the frame 24 pulls the body 36 outwardly away from the frame andcauses the pawl-engaging surfaces 54 to move laterally relative to theframe 24 from their first locations to their second locations. (The head42 serves as a fulcrum when an end of the handle 66 is pulled away fromthe frame 24 as shown in FIG. 2C. Thus, when the handle 66 is moved inthat way, it acts as a second class lever.)

When the handle 66 is moved laterally to the position shown in FIGS. 2Cand 2D, the pawl 50 is disengaged so the operator can rotate the body 36in either direction about the axis A₁. In turn, the shaft 30 rotatesabout the axis A₁ in the direction that the handle is rotated. It thuscan be seen that the operator can both disengage the pawl 50 and causethe shaft 30 to rotate while maintaining both hands firmly gripped onthe handle 66.

A return spring 80 is provided between the body 36 and head 42 to urgethe body and pawl-engaging surfaces to return to the first location.This is helpful to assure that the pawl 50 will normally be in theengaged position to prevent inadvertent free-spooling of the shaft 30. Astop plate 82 is welded to the shaft 30 to prevent the shaft 30 fromshifting axially relative to the frame 24. Another device could be used,instead of the plate 82, to limit axial movement of the shaft 30.Bushings 84 or other types of bearings may be provided to inhibitbinding of the shaft 30. Although not normally needed, a release handle86 may be provided on the pawl 50.

A second embodiment is shown in FIG. 3. This embodiment is similar tothe embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-2 in many ways, but the mechanism of theembodiment of FIG. 3 allows for both clockwise and counterclockwiseratcheted rotation. As in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-2, a winch spoolshaft 130 is rotationally mounted relative to a frame 124. The shaft 130can rotate about an axis A₄. A drive system 134 is secured to the shaftto control the rotation.

The drive system 134 is a unitary body 136 having a generallycylindrical exterior surface 137 that is coaxial with the axis A₄. Thesurface 137 defines a first ring or series of ratchet teeth 138 and asecond ring or series of ratchet teeth 139. The teeth of each series areevenly spaced around the axis A₄. The body 136 is slidably mountedrelative to the shaft in such a manner that when the body 136 is rotatedabout the axis A₄, the shaft also rotates.

A head or button 142 is welded or otherwise secured to the end of theshaft and is at least partially received inside an axially-extendingcavity 146 defined inside the body 136 by an interior wall surface 148.A portion of the shaft 130, between the frame 124 and the head 142, hasa peripheral surface that is cylindrical. One or more axially extendingsplines 145 are provided along the surface. The splined surface is atleast partially received inside a mating, axially extending bore definedthrough the body 136. The interior surface of the bore is a cylinderhaving grooves that mate with the splines 145 and has a cross section ofslightly larger dimensions than those of the splined surface portion.Thus the splined surface and the bore are sized and shaped to mate witheach other such that the body 136 can move axially relative to the shaft130, and such that the shaft 130 must rotate with the body 136. It willbe appreciated that the cross-sections of the splined shaft portion andthe bore need not be of the illustrated shape, but could be any otherpair of mating cylindrical shapes that allow the body 136 to moveaxially, but not rotate independently of the shaft 130.

A first pawl 150 and a second pawl 151 are rotationally mounted on theframe 124 for movement between engaged and disengaged positions. Mostefficiently, both pawls are mounted to rotate about a common axis A₅.FIG. 3 shows the first pawl 150 in its engaged position wherein the pawlengages the first series of ratchet teeth 138 such that the shaft 130can rotate in only one direction (counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 3).The first pawl 150 can be moved to its disengaged position (not shown)wherein the first pawl 150 does not engage the first series of ratchetteeth 138. Similarly, the second pawl 151 is moveable between an engagedposition (not shown) wherein the second pawl engages the second seriesof ratchet teeth 139 and a disengaged position, shown in FIG. 3, whereinthe second pawl 151 does not engage the second series of ratchet teeth139. When the pawl 151 is in its engaged position, the shaft 130 canrotate in only the opposite direction (clockwise as viewed in FIG. 3).

The first pawl 150 has a first contact surface 152. The second pawl 151has a second contact surface 153. The contact surfaces 152, 153 arepositioned to engage first and second annular pawl-engaging surfaces154, 155 provided on the body 136. The body 136 is mounted so that, whenthe body is moved axially relative to the shaft, both pawl-engagingsurfaces 154, 155 move axially between first locations and secondlocations. The pawl-engaging surfaces 154, 155 are provided on anannular ring 156, the surfaces 154, 155 serving as two sloping rampswhich meet at an annular ridge 157 that is the outermost edge of thering.

When the body 136 is in its first location (nearest the frame 124 or tothe right as shown in FIG. 3), the first pawl 150 is in its engagedposition and the second pawl 151 is in its disengaged position. When thebody 136 is moved to its second location (away from the frame 124 or tothe left in FIG. 3), the contact surface 152 of the first pawl 150 ridesup on the pawl-engaging surface 154 which causes the first pawl 150 tomove away from the axis A4 from its engaged to its disengagedpositioned. Simultaneously, the contact surface 153 of the second pawl151 slides down on the surface 155 towards the axis A₄ so that thesecond pawl 151 moves from its disengaged position to its engagedposition. The illustrated pawls 150, 151 are urged by gravity to engagethe teeth 138, 139, but it should be understood that any of the pawlsdescribed herein could be biased toward corresponding ratchet teeth bymeans of a spring or other such biasing device. A return spring can beprovided to urge the body 136 to return to the first location so thatthe pawl 150 will normally be in the engaged position and the pawl 151will normally be in the disengaged position.

Depending upon the axial spacing of the surfaces 152, 153 relative toeach other, it is possible to vary the operation of the pawls 150, 151.If the surfaces 152, 153 are sufficiently spaced apart axially, bothpawls 150, 151 will contact their corresponding ratchet teeth 138, 139when the body 136 is in an intermediate location. With this arrangement,the shaft can be locked against rotation in either direction. If thesurfaces 152, 153 are sufficiently close together or overlapped axially,neither of the pawls 150, 151 will engage the ratchet teeth 138, 139when the body 136 is in an intermediate location, which will create afree spool condition. It is also possible to space the surfaces 152, 153so that, as the body 136 is moved laterally relative to the frame 124,the movements of the pawls 150, 151 are coordinated such that as one ofthe pawls is releasing, the other pawl is engaging so that there is avirtually seamless shift from clockwise rotatably to counterclockwiserotatably without passing through an intermediate free spool orcompletely locked condition.

The drive system 134 also has a handle-engaging portion 160. Theillustrated handle-engaging portion 160 includes a series of radialopenings 162 that are defined by interior surfaces 164. The openings 162are sized and shaped to receive a handle (not shown) that may beinserted by the operator through a pair of opposed openings 162. Whensuch a handle is inserted, the operator can use the handle to applyrotational and axially directed forces in the manner described above inrelation to the system shown in FIGS. 1-2. By tilting the handlelaterally, toward or away from the frame 124, the operator can move thebody 136 between its first and second locations. By pulling the handlelaterally outwardly (to the left in FIG. 3), the body 136 is moved to aposition wherein the first pawl 150 is disengaged and the second pawl151 is engaged so that the shaft can be rotated in a clockwise direction(as viewed from the left). By moving the handle to a location where itsaxis is more nearly parallel to a plane that is perpendicular to theaxis A₄, the body 136 moves toward the frame 124 (to the right in FIG.3), the first pawl 150 engages the teeth 138, and the second pawl 151disengages the teeth 139 so the shaft 130 can rotate onlycounterclockwise (as viewed from the left). It should be appreciatedthat the operator need not take one hand off the handle in order todisengage pawls 150, 151 as needed.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate another winch system that can be operatedentirely by a single handle. The winch system of FIGS. 4A and 4B, andseveral other winch systems described below, include a drive system thatis a multi-part assembly having a piston that is movable axially todisengage a pawl.

The winch of FIGS. 4A and 4B has a spool shaft 230 mounted forrotational movement relative to a frame 224. The shaft 230 can rotateabout an axis A₆ to wrap an elongated member around the shaft 230. Anend portion of the shaft 230 is comprised of a cylindrical wall 232 thatdefines a central bore 233.

A multi-part drive system 234 is provided to control the rotation of theshaft 230. The drive system 234 includes a series of ratchet teeth 238evenly. spaced around the axis A₆. In the illustrated embodiment, theratchet teeth are on the perimeter of a ratchet wheel 240 that is weldedto the shaft 230 so that the ratchet teeth 238 rotate about the axis A₆as the shaft 230 rotates.

A pawl 250 is rotatably mounted relative to the frame 224 so that it canmove about an axis A₇ between two positions. In FIGS. 4A and 4B, thepawl 250 is shown in an engaged position wherein the pawl engages theseries of ratchet teeth 238 such that the shaft 230 can rotate only inone direction. The pawl 250 can be rotated to a disengaged position (notshown) wherein the pawl does not engage the series of ratchet teeth 238.When the pawl 250 is in the disengaged position, the shaft 230 canrotate in both directions. The pawl 250 has a contact surface 252 thatextends axially outwardly from the pawl 250 at an angle to the axis A₇.

A release member 241 is mounted to slide axially relative to the shaft230. The illustrated release member 241 is generally in the shape of aring concentric to the shaft 230. The release member 241 has a centralopening that is defined by a cylindrical wall 248 and that receives theshaft 230. The release member 241 also has an annular pawl-engagingsurface 254 positioned to engage the contact surface 252. The member 241is mounted for movement between a first location, shown in FIG. 4A,wherein the pawl-engaging surface 254 does not exert force on the pawl250 and a second location (not shown, moved to the left as viewed inFIG. 4A) wherein the pawl-engaging surface 254 supports the pawl 250 ina position where the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet teeth 238.Thus, when the release member 241 is in its first location(illustrated), the pawl is in the engaged position. Movement of thepawl-engaging surface 254 between its first and second locations causesthe surface 252 to slide on the surface 254 and thereby causes the pawl250 to move between its engaged and disengaged positions.

The drive system 234 includes a driver head or handle-engaging member260. The illustrated handle-engaging member 260 is a cage that is weldedor otherwise secured to the shaft 230. The driver head 260 has multipleradial openings 262 that are defined by interior surfaces 264 and thatare sized and shaped to receive a handle 266 that may be inserted by anoperator through a pair of openings 262 on opposite sides of the axisA₆. The openings 262 are axially elongated and have sufficiently largeaxial dimensions that a handle 266 received in a pair of the openingscan be tilted to vary the angle of the handle relative to the axis A₆.

The illustrated driver head 260 is an assembly that includes a slidablymounted piston 242 for transmitting axially directed force from thehandle 266 to the release member 241. The piston 242 has a body portion243 that extends into the bore 233 of the hollow shaft 230 and a headportion 244 located outside the bore 233 at the outer end of the bodyportion 243. In the embodiment of FIGS. 4A and 4B, the head portion 244of the piston 242 is contained in a bore 245 that is defined by thehandle-engaging member 260 and that extends substantially parallel tothe axis A₆. The head portion 244 has an outwardly facing contactsurface 246 for contact with the handle 266. The surface 246 may be atleast partially convex or have chamfered edges (not shown) to reduce theamount of force required to tilt a handle that is in contact with thesurface 246.

Plural projections extend radially from the piston 242. In theembodiment of FIGS. 4A and 4B, the projections are two ends of a pin 247that extends radially through the piston 242. The cylindrical wall 232of the shaft 230 defines two opposed axially extending openings or slots249 defined in opposite sides of the hollow shaft 230. The slots receivethe projections and have sufficiently large axial dimensions that theprojections can travel axially along a path provided by the slots. Theslots 249 allow the piston 242 and pin 247 to move axially, but not torotate to any great extent relative to the shaft 230.

A first return spring 280 is provided between the ratchet wheel 240 andthe release member 241. The spring 280 is sized and positioned to urgethe release member 241 to move axially to its first location, distantfrom the frame 224. This is helpful to assure that the pawl 250 willnormally be in its engaged position, received between two of the ratchetteeth 238, so that the shaft 230 can rotate in only one direction and sothat inadvertent free-spooling of the shaft 230 is prevented.

If the first return spring 280 is not sufficiently strong, by itself, tomove the release member 241 outwardly or if a fail-safe mechanism isdesired, a second return spring 288 can be provided to urge the piston242 to move outwardly from the frame 224 as well. The illustrated spring288 is located inside the cavity of the shaft 230 between the inner endof the piston 242 and a stop member 290 secured to the shaft 230. In theembodiment of FIG. 4A, the stop member 290 is a bar or pin that extendsacross the interior of the shaft 230 between axial holes 292 drilledthrough opposite sides of the shaft. Bushings 284 or other types ofbearings can be provided to inhibit binding of the shaft 230. Althoughnot required, a release handle 286 can be provided on the pawl 250 ifdesired.

To operate the winch of FIGS. 4A and 4B, a user inserts a handle 266through a pair of opposed openings 262. The handle 266 can then be usedboth to move the pawl 250 between its engaged and disengaged positionsand to rotate or limit the rotation of the shaft 230.

Engagement of the pawl 250 is controlled by tilting the handle 266laterally, toward or away from the frame 224. This can be accomplishedby pushing a distal portion of the handle 266 (to the left or right asviewed in FIG. 4A) such that the handle moves substantially in a plane(such as the sectional plane of FIG. 4A) that bisects an opening 262 andthat includes the axis A₆. Initially, when the handle 266 is inserted,it extends substantially perpendicularly to the axis A₆. When the handle266 is tilted away from perpendicular, so that the longitudinal axis A₈of the handle changes in angle relative to the axis A₆, a portion of thehandle 266 pushes on the head 244 of the piston 242 while anotherportion of the handle 266 pushes on an interior wall 264 that definesone of the openings 262 and that serves a fulcrum. This lever action(first or second class depending on the direction of handle tilt) causesthe piston 242 to move axially toward the frame 224.

The pin 247 is carried by the piston and is moved axially with thepiston, as the handle 266 is tilted, until the pin engages the releasemember 241. Further axial movement of the handle 266 thus moves therelease member 241 due to force applied by the pin 247. Eventually,motion of the pin 247 towards the frame 224 pushes the release member241 sufficiently to cause the pawl-engaging surface 254 to movelaterally toward the frame 224 until the pawl-engaging surface 254contacts the contact surface 252. The release member 241 and itspawl-engaging surface 254 are shaped and positioned such that forcetransmitted from the handle 266 is then transmitted to the contactsurface 252. As the release member 241 moves to its second position (notshown), the surface 254 pushes on the surface 252 so that the surface252 rides up on the surface 254 and the free end of the pawl 250 movesaway from the axis A₆. Eventually the pawl-engaging surface 254 travelsalong the contact surface 252 to a sufficient extent that the pawl 250is rotated away from the ratchet teeth 238 and the ratchet mechanism isdisengaged.

Axially directed force thus can be transmitted from the handle 266 tocause the pawl-engaging surface 254 to move from its first location toits second location. In particular, when the handle is moved laterallyto the left, to the position shown by broken lines in FIG. 4A, the pawl250 is disengaged. When the handle 266 is returned to a position whereit is perpendicular to the axis A₆, the return springs 280, 288 push therelease member 241 away from the frame 224 and the pawl 250 returns toits engaged position.

The operator also can use the handle 266 to apply a rotational ortorquing force in either direction shown by the curved arrow in FIG. 4Bto urge the shaft 230 to rotate about the axis A₆. Force is transmittedfrom the handle 266 to the shaft 230 via the handle-engaging member 260.While the pawl 250 is in its disengaged position the operator can usethe handle 266 to rotate the handle-engaging member 260 in eitherdirection about the axis A₆. When the pawl is in its engaged positionthe shaft 230 can be rotated in only one direction (counterclockwise asviewed in FIG. 4B).

It thus can be seen that an operator can simultaneously apply arotational force to the shaft 230 and control engagement of the pawl 250while maintaining both hands firmly gripped on the handle 266.

FIG. 5 shows a winch system that in many aspects is similar to thesystem shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. Comparable elements in FIG. 5 areindicated by the same reference numerals used in FIGS. 4A and 4B,incremented by one hundred. The system of FIG. 5 is advantageous in thatit includes an adjustment system for control of the engagement of a pawl350. Adjustment is accomplished by providing a release member 341 thathas an inwardly facing surface 393 that faces toward a frame 324, anoutwardly facing surface 394 that faces away from the frame, and agenerally cylindrical, axially extending surface 395 that is locatedbetween the surfaces 393, 394 and that encircles the axis A₆. Thesurface 395 defines a circumferential channel 396 that opens toward andis generally concentric with the axis A_(6.) Ends of a pin 347 arecontained in the channel 396 so that axial movement of a piston 342causes the pin 347 and the release member 341 to move.

The channel 396 has radially extending walls 397, 398 that do not lie inplanes perpendicular to the axis A_(6,) but instead are stepped axiallyso that the ends of the pin 347 can be located at different axialpositions relative to the release member 341. The channel ramps betweenthe steps so that, by rotating the release member 341 about the axis A₆,the pin 347 (which can not rotate about the axis A₆) can be moved by theoperator to any of three axial steps or positions. The walls 397, 398can be shaped to provide cradles to receive the ends of the pin 347 atone or more of the steps. The ends of the pin 347 can thus act asdetents to hold the release member 341 in a fixed axial positionrelative to the piston 342 at a desired step.

At a first step, as shown in FIG. 5, the pin 347 is located nearest apawl-engaging surface 354 and the surface 393 that faces the frame 324.When the ends of the pin 347 are at the first step, there is sufficientdistance between the pawl-engaging surface 354 and a contact surface 352on a pawl 350 that no amount of axial movement of the piston 342 willcause the release member 341 to push the pawl 350 to its disengagedposition, shown by broken lines in FIG. 5. At a second or intermediatestep (not shown), where the ends of the pin 347 are located midwaybetween the surfaces 393, 394, the distance between the contact surface352 and the pawl-engaging surface 354 is such that axial motion of thepiston 342 toward the release member 341 can cause the release member341 to move sufficiently that the pawl-engaging surface 354 moves fromits first location to its second location and pushes the pawl 350 to itsdisengaged position. At a third step (not shown), where the ends of thepin 347 are located nearest the surface 394, the release member 341 isso close to the frame 324 (so far to the left as viewed in FIG. 5) thatthe pawl-engaging surface 354 is always at its second location incontact with the contact surface 352 and the pawl 350 is alwaysdisengaged. Thus the operator, by rotating the release member 341 aboutthe axis A₆, can set the winch for continuous ratchet operation (firststep), switchable operation by axial movement of a handle 366 (secondstep), or free-spool operation (third step).

FIG. 6 shows another winch system that is related to the system shown inFIGS. 4A and 4B. Comparable elements in FIG. 6 are indicated by the samereference numerals used in FIGS. 4A and 4B, incremented by two hundred.The winch of FIG. 6 does not include a piston that moves a releasemember 441. Instead, the release member has an outwardly facing surface494 that is positioned to engage a handle 466 inserted through openings462. Engagement of a pawl 450 is controlled by tilting the handle 466laterally, toward or away from a frame 424, e.g. by pushing a distalportion of the handle 466 (to the left or right as viewed in FIG. 6)such that the handle moves in a plane that includes the axis A₆. Whenthe handle 466 is tilted away from perpendicular, so that thelongitudinal axis A₈ of the handle changes in angle relative to the axisA₆, one portion of the handle 466 pushes on the surface 494 of therelease member 441 while another portion of the handle 466 pushes on aninterior wall 464 that defines one of the openings 462 and serves as afulcrum. This lever action (first or second class depending on thedirection of handle tilt) causes the release member 441 to move axiallytoward the frame 424 and causes a pawl-engaging surface 454 to movelaterally toward the frame 424 until the pawl-engaging surface 454contacts a contact surface 452. The release member 441 and itspawl-engaging surface 454 are shaped and positioned such that forcetransmitted from the handle 266 is then transmitted to the contactsurface 252. As the release member 441 moves to its second position (notshown), the surface 454 pushes on the surface 452 so that the surface452 rides up on the surface 454 and the free end of the pawl 450 movesaway from the axis A₆ to its disengaged position shown by broken linesin FIG. 6. Eventually the pawl-engaging surface 454 travels along thecontact surface 452 to a sufficient extent that the pawl 450 is rotatedaway from ratchet teeth 438 and the ratchet mechanism is disengaged.When the handle 466 is returned to a position where it is perpendicularto the axis A₆, a return spring 480 pushes the release member 441 awayfrom the frame 424 and the pawl 450 returns to its engaged position.

FIGS. 7A and 7B also show a winch system that bears a resemblance thesystem shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. Comparable elements that appear inFIGS. 7A and 7B are indicated by the same reference numerals used inFIGS. 4A and 4B, incremented by three hundred. The system of FIGS. 7Aand 7B differs in several respects. Instead of a piston with a bodyreceived inside a hollow shaft, the winch of FIGS. 7A and 7B has apiston 542 in the shape of a spider having four legs 543 that extendaxially at locations outside a shaft 530 to engage a release member 541.A driver head 558 has a handle-engaging member 560 that defines axialopenings 571 through which the legs 543 extend. A foot 572 at the end ofeach leg 543 extends radially and can contact the handle-engaging member560 to limit the movement of the piston 542 away from a supporting frame524.

As in the winch system of FIGS. 4A and 4B, the piston 542 can slideaxially relative to the shaft 530. But instead of always rotating with ashaft, the piston 542 can rotate (with the driver head 558) relative tothe shaft 530. The driver head 558 is joined to the shaft 530 by aratchet mechanism. The ratchet mechanism causes the shaft 530 to rotatewith the driver head 558 when the driver head is rotated in onedirection (counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 7B), but not to rotatewith the driver head when the driver head is rotated in the oppositedirection (clockwise as viewed in FIG. 7B). This allows the operator toquickly rotate the shaft 530 simply by rocking a handle 566 back andforth, generally in a plane perpendicular to the axis A₆, instead ofhaving to rotate the handle continuously or to remove and replace thehandle repeatedly.

To achieve such ratcheting operation, the winch system of FIGS. 7A and7B has an endplate 573 that is welded on the free end of the shaft 530.The endplate 573 has an axially extending cavity defined by an interiorsurface 574 that is a cylinder of circular cross section. A stub shaft575, that is a portion of the piston 542, extends into the cavitythrough the endplate 573. The shaft 575 has a peripheral surface 576that is cylindrical, is circular in cross section, and has a slightlysmaller cross-sectional diameter than that of the cavity. The surface574 and surface 576 are sized so that the piston 542 can slide axiallyrelative to the endplate 573, and such that the piston 542 can rotaterelative to the shaft 530 about the axis A₆. In the illustratedembodiment, the endplate 573 has an outside diameter greater than theshaft 530 and serves as a stop to prevent the driver head 558 fromsliding off of the shaft 530 and as a ratchet wheel that is coaxial withthe shaft.

The endplate 573 provides a second series of ratchet teeth 577 that arespaced around the axis A₆. Because the endplate 573 is secured to theshaft 530, the teeth 577 rotate about the axis A₆ as the shaft rotates.One or more secondary pawls 578, two of which are shown in theembodiment of FIGS. 7A and 7B, are mounted on the driver head 558 andpositioned such that the pawls 578 engage the ratchet teeth 577. Returnsprings 579 are positioned to urge the second pawls 578 toward theratchet teeth 577.

It can be seen that the driver head 558 is mounted to rotate relative tothe second series of teeth 577. Normally, the second pawls 578 allow thedriver head 558 to rotate in only one direction (clockwise as shown by acurved arrow in FIG. 7B) relative to the shaft 530. When the driver head558 is urged to rotate in that one direction, the shaft 530 does notfollow because it is prevented by the pawl 550 which normally allows theshaft 530 to rotate in only one direction (counterclockwise as viewed inFIG. 7B) relative to the frame 524. In other words, when the driver head558 is urged to rotate in the direction opposite the one direction inwhich the shaft 530 normally can rotate, the driver head can rotaterelative to the shaft. The second pawls 578 normally prevent the driverhead 558 from rotating relative to the shaft 530 when the driver head558 is urged to rotate in the direction (counterclockwise as viewed inFIG. 7B) that the shaft 530 can rotate relative to the frame 524. Thus,as viewed in FIG. 7B, an operator can use a handle 566 to rotate thedriver head 558 counterclockwise and thereby rotate the shaft 530 in thesame direction. Or, the operator can use the handle to rotate the driverhead 558 clockwise, to reposition the handle 566, without rotating theshaft 530.

As in other embodiments, the handle 566 can be tilted toward or awayfrom the frame 524 to control pawl engagement status. Normally, thepawls 550, 578 are located in their engaged positions as shown in FIGS.7A and 7B. An operator can release all the pawls, so that the shaft 530is free to rotate in either direction, by tilting the handle 566 towardor away from the frame.

Initially, when the handle 566 is inserted, it extends substantiallyperpendicularly to the axis A₆. When the handle 566 is tilted away fromperpendicular, so that the longitudinal axis A₈ of the handle changes inangle relative to the axis A₆, one portion of the handle 566 pushes onthe head 544 of the piston 542 while another portion of the handle 566pushes on an interior wall 564 that defines one of the openings 562.This lever action (first or second class depending on the direction ofhandle tilt) causes the piston 542 to move axially toward the frame 524.The feet 572 of the piston press against the release member 541, whichresponds by moving towards the frame 524. As the release member 541moves (to the left as viewed in FIG. 7A), an annular pawl-engagingsurface 554 moves laterally toward the frame 524 until the pawl-engagingsurface 554 contacts a contact surface 552 on the pawl 550. The releasemember 541 and its pawl-engaging surface 554 are shaped and positionedsuch that force transmitted from the handle 566 is thus transmitted tothe contact surface 552. As the release. member 541 moves to its secondposition (not shown), the surface 554 pushes on the surface 552 so thatthe surface 552 rides up on the surface 554 and the free end of the pawl550 moves away from the axis A₆ and the ratchet teeth 538. Eventuallythe pawl-engaging surface 554 travels along the contact surface 552 to asufficient extent that the pawl 550 reaches its disengaged position,shown by broken lines in FIG. 7A, and the ratchet mechanism isdisengaged.

Movement of the piston 542 also causes the second pawls 578 to bereleased from engagement with the ratchet teeth 577. As the piston moves(to the left as viewed in FIG. 7A), ramped pawl-engaging surfaces 581move laterally toward the frame 524 until the pawl-engaging surfaces 581contact a contact surface 583 on each pawl 578. The pawl-engagingsurfaces 581 are shaped and positioned such that lateral force appliedto the handle 566 is transmitted to the contact surfaces 583. As thepiston 542 moves to its second position (not shown), the surfaces 581push on surfaces 583 so that the surfaces 583 ride up on the surfaces554 and the free ends of the pawls 578 move away from the axis A₆ andthe ratchet teeth 577. Eventually the pawl-engaging surfaces 581 travelalong the contact surfaces 583 to a sufficient extent that the pawls 578reach their disengaged positions (not shown), and the secondary ratchetmechanism is disengaged.

When the handle 566 is returned to its initial position, substantiallyperpendicular to the axis A₆, the return spring 580 urges theillustrated elements of the driver head 558 to return to their originalpositions shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B.

FIGS. 8A-8C show another winch system. Comparable elements that appearin FIGS. 8A-8C are indicated by the same reference numerals used inFIGS. 4A and 4B, incremented by four hundred. There are variations inthis embodiment from those previously described. As in some of the otherembodiments, a driver head 658 is provided to drive a shaft 630.

The system of FIGS. 8A-8C has a unique arrangement for disengaging apawl by lateral movement of a handle by an operator. The driver head 658has a uniquely shaped piston 642 that is connected to a shaft 630 insuch a way that the shaft rotates with the piston, but the piston canmove axially relative to the shaft. The piston has a body portion 643and a head portion 644 that includes plural radially extending arms orpedals 668. The arms 668 have surfaces 669, 670 positioned to mate withand engage grooves or valleys 697, 698, 699 on a stepped surface 696 ofa uniquely shaped release member 641. The grooves are shaped to providecradles to receive and hold the arms 668, with the surfaces of thegrooves being angled to abut the surfaces 669, 670 of the arms 668.

In the illustrated embodiment, best seen in FIG. 8C, each piston arm 668has several types of radially extending surfaces. Two generally planarrelease member-engaging surfaces 669, 670 face the release member 641,are angled relative to each other, and meet at a radially extendingridge 671. Two generally planar spaced-apart side surfaces 672, 673extend axially and lie in planes that extend parallel to the axis A₆. Aconcave, generally hemicylindrical surface 674 faces away from therelease member 641 and has an axis that extends radially, perpendicularto the axis A₆.

A handle-engaging portion 660 of the driver head 658 is welded to an endof the shaft 630. The handle-engaging portion 660 defines a cylindricalbore 645 that is coaxial to the axis A₆ and that contains at leastportions of the piston's body 643 and head 644. The handle-engagingportion 660 also defines a plurality of grooves 677 that receive thearms 668. Each groove 677 is defined by a generally U-shaped wall 679that has a concave base wall portion 695 and two facing side wallportions 693, 694. One arm 668 is received in each groove 677, with thesurfaces of the facing side wall portions 693, 694 extending axially inparallel to surfaces 672, 673 respectively. The grooves 677 aresufficiently deep (as measured parallel to the axis A₆) that the arms668 can move axially through the grooves. For each groove 677, a concavesurface 674 of the piston and a concave surface portion 695 of the wall679 together define a radial opening 662 that is sized and shaped toreceive a handle 666 inserted by an operator through a pair of openings662 on opposite sides of the axis A₆.

When a handle 666 is received between an arm 668 and the facing basewall portion 695 of the groove 667 which contains the arm, the handle666 can be tilted toward or away from the frame 624 to vary the angle ofthe handle relative to the axis A₆. When so laterally tilted, the handle666 serves as a lever (first or second class depending on the directionof handle tilt) with a base wall portion 695 serving as a fulcrum.Tilting causes the handle 666 to push on the piston 642 and move thepiston axially, which in turn causes the release member 641 to moveaxially if the arms 668 are aligned with an appropriate set of groovesdefined in the annular surface 696 of the release member 641.

In the illustrated embodiment there are three sets of radial groovesdefined in the annular surface 696. (Fewer or more sets of grooves couldbe used, but three sets is optimum as discussed below.) A first setconsists of the grooves 697. A second set consists of the grooves 698.And, a third set consists of the grooves 699. The grooves of each setare of a common depth (as measured parallel to the axis A₆). Each sethas grooves that differ in depth from the grooves of the other two sets.The grooves 697 are sufficiently deep that, when the arms 668 arereceived in the grooves 697 of the first set, no amount of axialmovement of the piston 642 will cause the release member 641 to push apawl 650 to its disengaged position (shown by broken lines in FIG. 8A).The grooves 698 of the second set are of such a depth that, when thearms 668 are received in the grooves 698, axial motion of the arms 668toward the frame 624 can cause the release member to move sufficientlythat the pawl-engaging surface 654 moves between its illustrated firstlocation to its second location (not shown) nearer the frame. Thegrooves 699 of the third set are sufficiently shallow that, when thearms 668 engage the grooves 669, the release member 641 is continuouslymaintained at a position where the pawl-engaging surface 654 is at itssecond location near the frame 624 and the pawl is continuouslydisengaged. The grooves of each set are uniformly spaced around the axisA₆ and the sets are arranged around the surface 696 to provide arepeating series of grooves of various depths, such that the uniformlyspaced arms 668 of the piston 642 can be received by the grooves of onlyone set at a time.

The release member 641 is rotatable about the axis A₆ and with respectto the piston 642 so that a user of the winch can rotate the releasemember relative to the arms 668 to align the arms with the grooves of adesired set. The surfaces which define the grooves 697, 698, 699 areangled to serve as ramps to facilitate rotation of the release member641 by the operator in relation to the piston arms 668. The operator canthus easily rotate the release member 641 about the axis A₆ to set thewinch for continuous ratchet operation (first set of grooves 697),switchable operation by axial movement of a handle 666 (second set ofgrooves 698), or free-spool operation (third set of grooves 699).

A spring 680 urges the release member 641 toward the arms 668 so that,once the user aligns the arms with a desired set of grooves, the springholds the release member in the desired alignment. In effect, the arms668 act as detents that prevent the spring-loaded release member 641from rotating relative to the piston 642, except when an operatorovercomes the force applied by the spring 680.

FIGS. 9A-9D show a winch system that in many aspects is similar to thesystem shown in FIGS. 2A-2D. Comparable elements in FIGS. 9A-9D areindicated by the same reference numerals used in FIGS. 2A-2D,incremented by seven hundred. The device of FIGS. 9A-9D advantageouslyincludes a mechanism 710 to hold a body 736 in a position wherein thepawl 750 is disengaged from the teeth 738. This is accomplished by anarrangement whereby the body 736 disengages the pawl 750 when the bodyis moved axially, outwardly from a supporting frame 724 along the axisA₁. Also advantageous is the mounting of the holding mechanism 710 andthe pawl 750 on a plate 751. that easily can be retrofitted onto anexisting frame 724 and attached by welding or by fasteners (not shown).Plates of the type illustrated in FIGS. 9A-9D could be used with otherof the embodiments described herein to simplify mounting.

In particular, FIGS. 9A-9D show a drive system 734 that is a unitarybody 736 having a generally cylindrical exterior surface 737 that iscoaxial with an axis A₁. The surface 737 defines a ring or series ofratchet teeth 738 evenly spaced around the axis A₁. The body 736 ismounted so that it can slide axially relative to the shaft 730 but cannot rotate relative to the shaft 730 such that, when the body 736 isrotated about the axis A₁, the shaft 730 also rotates as indicated bythe curved arrow in FIG. 9B. This is accomplished by providing a head orbutton 742 welded to an end of the shaft 730. The head 742 has aperipheral surface 744 that is cylindrical, is hexagonal in crosssection, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, and is at least partially receivedinside an axially extending cavity 746 defined inside the body 736 by aninterior surface 748. The surface 748 is a cylinder having a hexagonalcross section of slightly larger dimensions than those of the surface744. The hexagonal surface 744 and hexagonal surface 748 are sized andshaped to mate with each other so that the head 742 can move axiallyrelative to the body 736, and such that the shaft 730 must rotate withthe head 736 when the head 742 is inside the cavity 746. It will beappreciated that the cross-sections of the cylindrical surfaces 744, 748need not be hexagonal in shape, but could be any other pair of matingcylindrical shapes, such as pentagons or more complex shapes (notshown), that allow the body of 736 normally to move axially, but notrotate independently of the shaft 730.

A pawl 750 is rotationally mounted on the plate 751 so that the pawl canrotate about an axis A₂ between two positions. In FIGS. 9A and 9C, thepawl 750 is shown in an engaged position wherein the pawl engages theseries of ratchet teeth 738 such that the shaft 730 can rotate only inone direction. A release handle 786 provided on the pawl 750 can be usedto rotate the pawl 750 about the axis A₂ to a disengaged position (notshown) wherein the pawl does not engage the series of ratchet teeth 738.When the pawl 750 is in the disengaged position, the shaft 730 canrotate in both directions.

Extending from the pawl 750 is a support or contact member that, in theembodiment of FIGS. 9A-9D, is a flange 753 on the side of the pawlopposite the frame 724. The flange 753 is located so as to ride onradially outermost edges 755 of the ratchet teeth 738 while a toothengaging edge 757 of the pawl 750 extends sufficiently toward the axisA₁ to be received between two of the teeth 738. As can be seen bycomparing FIG. 2C to FIG. 9D, the body 736 is mounted to move axially sothat body and its ring of teeth 738 can be moved axially relative to theshaft 730 between a first location shown in FIG. 9C and a secondlocation shown in FIG. 9D.

When the body 736 is in the first location, the engaging edge 757 of thepawl 750 is located between two of the teeth 738 and engages at leastone of the teeth. When the body 736 is moved to the second locationshown in FIG. 9D, the ring of teeth 738 is located so far from the frame724, that the engaging edge 757 of the pawl 750 does not engage any ofthe teeth 738. Thus movement of the body 736 between its first andsecond locations causes the ring of teeth 738 to engage and disengagethe engaging edge 757. The flange 753 extends axially a sufficientdistance that the flange at all times remains in contact with the body736 and thus prevents the pawl 750 from falling into a gap that ispresent between the body 736 and the plate 751 when the body 736 ismoved to the second location as shown in FIG. 9D.

The drive system 734 also has a handle-engaging portion 760. Theillustrated handle-engaging portion 760 includes a series of radialopenings 762 that are defined by interior surfaces 764 and are sized andshaped to receive a rod-like handle 766 that may be inserted by anoperator through a pair of opposed openings 762. Each opening 762 has alength L measured parallel to the axis A₁ and a width W measuredperpendicular to a plane (not shown) that bisects the opening andincludes the axis A_(1.) The length L is greater than the width W.Ideally, the length L is considerably larger than the diameter of thehandle 766, whereas the width W is only slightly larger than thediameter of the handle 766. Thus, when a handle 766 is inserted intoopenings 762, the handle can move axially through the openings parallelto the axis A₁ to a limited extent, and can not rotate to any greatextent relative to the body 736 about the axis A₁.

When a handle is inserted into the body 736, the operator can use thehandle to apply rotational force in the directions shown by thetwo-headed arrow in FIG. 9B. The force is transmitted from the handle tothe shaft 730 via the body 736. Thus, by applying a torquing force tothe handle 766, the operator will urge the shaft 730 to rotate.

The handle 766 can also be used as a lever (first or second classdepending on the direction of tilt) to transmit axially directed forcethat causes the body 736 to move from its first location to its secondlocation. When the handle 766 is tilted toward or away from the frame724 so that the longitudinal axis A₃ of the handle changes in anglerelative to the axis A₁, a portion of the handle 766 pushes on the head742 while another portion of the handle 766 pushes on an interiorsurface 764 that defines one of the radial openings 762. Thus, in theembodiment of FIGS. 9A-9D, tilting the handle 766 toward or away fromthe frame 724 pulls the body 736 outwardly away from the frame andcauses the ring of teeth 738 to move laterally relative to the frame 724from its first location to its second location. (The head 742 serves asa fulcrum when an end of the handle 766 is pulled away from the frame724 as shown in FIG. 9D. Thus, when the handle 766 is moved in that way,it acts as a second class lever.)

When the handle 766 is moved laterally to the position shown in FIG. 9D,the ring of teeth 738 is pulled away from the pawl 750 so that the pawlno longer engages any of the teeth 738. When the pawl 750 is thusdisengaged, the operator can rotate the body 736 in either directionabout the axis A₁. In turn, the shaft 730 rotates about the axis A₁ inthe direction that the handle 766 is rotated. It thus can be seen thatthe operator can both disengage the pawl 750 and cause the shaft 730 torotate while maintaining both hands firmly gripped on the handle 766.

A return spring 780 is provided between the body 736 and head 742 tourge the body and its ring of teeth 738 to return to the first location.This is helpful to assure that the pawl 750 will normally engage thering of teeth to prevent inadvertent free-spooling of the shaft 730.When an operator releases the handle 766, the spring 780 moves the body736 moves back toward the frame 724 and the engaging edge 757 is againreceived between two of the teeth 738. A stop plate 782 is welded to theshaft 730 to prevent the shaft 730 from shifting axially relative to theframe 724. Another device could be used, instead of the plate 782, tolimit axial movement of the shaft 730.

The system of FIGS. 9A-9D includes a quick release device to be usedwhen an operator wants the shaft 730 to rotate freely, such as when theoperator wants to unwind a chain, strap, or other extensible member thatis wrapped around the shaft 730. The illustrated quick release devicehas a shaft 759 that is mounted on the plate 751 in such a manner thatthe shaft can be rotated about an axis A₉. In the embodiment of FIGS.9A-9D, the shaft 759 is rotationally secured in bearings 761 that, inthe illustrated embodiment, are pivot brackets made from metal straps763 that are welded to the plate 751 and that have arch-shaped centerportions that receive the shaft. Mounted on the shaft 759 is a socket765 having a central cavity 767 that is generally cylindrical and shapedto receive the end of a handle 766 and that extends generally radiallyfrom the shaft 759. The socket 765 has an axis A₁₀ that is coaxial witha handle 766 received in the cavity 767 of the socket 765. Alsoextending generally radially from the shaft 759 is a protrusion such asan engagement pin or, as illustrated, an ear 769. One portion of theshaft 759 is located between the body 736 and the plate 751, with atleast a part of the ear 769 being located on that portion of the shaft.The socket 765 is connected to a portion of the shaft 759 that is notlocated between the body 736 and the plate 751.

During normal operation, the shaft 759 is at rest in a position wherethe ear 769 either does not contact the body 736 or lightly rests on thebody 736 due to gravity without applying a significant amount of forceon the body. For example, the shaft 759 can be in the position shown inFIG. 9C wherein the ear 769 extends generally parallel to the plate 751.If the operator is not concerned about restricting rotation of the shaft730 and wants to maintain the shaft 730 in a free-spool condition, theoperator can use the quick release mechanism 710. The operator inserts ahandle 766 into the socket 765 and uses the handle as a lever to rotatethe shaft 759 (clockwise as viewed in FIGS. 9C, 9D). As the shaft isrotated, the ear 769 engages a surface of the body 736 and pushes thebody 736 away from the plate 751. The ear 769 thus acts as a cam and thebody 736 acts as a cam follower.

Sufficient rotation of the shaft 759 will cause the ear to shift thebody sufficiently that, as shown in FIG. 9D, the ratchet teeth 738 aredisengaged from the pawl 750. When the body 736 is so shifted, the shaft730 and body 736 are free to rotate. When the ear 769 is centered,extending normal to the plate 751 as shown in FIG. 9D, the operator canremove the handle 766 from the socket 765. The shaft 730 remains in thefree-spool condition because horizontally extending the ear 769 preventsthe return spring 780 from operating to move the body back toward theplate 751. For even greater stability, the shaft 759 can be rotated to aposition where the ear 769 is propped in a somewhat over-centered (notshown). For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the shaft 759 couldbe rotated to the extent that the distal end 771 of the ear 769 is at anelevation below the elevation of the axis Ag of the shaft 759. The anglebetween the socket axis A₁₀ and the plane of the ear 769 when viewedalong the axis of the shaft 759 as in FIGS. 9C, 9D, can be selected toestablish a specific centered or over-centered location for the ear 769.The plane of the ear 769 is the plane that includes the axis A₉ of theshaft 759 and the distal end 771 of the ear 769, the “distal end” beingthe part of the ear which contacts the body 736. For example, the anglebetween the socket axis A₁₀ and the ear plane can be selected so that,when the shaft 759 is rotated sufficiently that the socket 765 abuts theplate 751 at a location below the shaft, the ear 769 extends toward thebody 736 at a desired angle relative to horizontal.

When the operator wishes to again engage the ratchet mechanism, theoperator can move the socket 765 back up to the at-rest position shownin FIG. 9A. As the socket is moved back to that position, the returnspring 780 moves the body 736 toward the plate 751 and the ring of teeth738 again engages the pawl 750.

In FIGS. 10A to 10D a winch system 820 is shown mounted to a frame 824of a cargo carrying vehicle, in particular an automobile transporttrailer. The cargo, for example automobiles, is secured to the transportvehicle by an elongated member (not shown). One end of the elongatedmember is secured to a winch spool shaft 830 between two disks 859 thatserve as the side walls of a spool. The other end of the elongatedmember is free so that the elongated member can be secured to the cargo,for example an automobile. Or the elongated member can extend over oraround the cargo as previously described. Used in this second way, awinch can secure a cargo container or lumber, for example, to a railroadcar, truck bed, or deck of a ship (not shown).

The shaft 830 is rotationally mounted relative to the frame 824. Theshaft 830 can rotate about an axis A₁₁ of rotation to wrap the elongatedmember around the shaft 830 between the two disks. The winch system 820has a drive system 834 secured to the shaft 830 to control the rotationof the shaft.

The drive system 834 has a body 836 having a generally cylindricalexterior surface 837 that is coaxial with the axis A₁₁. The surface 837defines a ring or series of ratchet teeth 838 spaced around the axis A₁₁at an even distance from the axis. The body 836 is mounted on the shaft830 so that it cannot slide axially relative to the shaft 830 and cannotrotate relative to the shaft 30 such that, when the body 836 is rotatedabout the axis A₁, the shaft 830 also rotates. This conveniently isaccomplished by welding the body 836 to an end of the shaft 830.

A pawl 850 is rotationally mounted on the frame 824 so that it canrotate about an axis A₁₂ between two positions. The pawl 850 is shown inan engaged position wherein the pawl engages the series of ratchet teeth838 such that the shaft 830 can rotate only in one direction. A releasehandle 886 provided on the pawl 850 can be used to rotate the pawl aboutthe axis A₁₂ to a disengaged position (not shown) wherein the pawl doesnot engage the series of ratchet teeth 838. When the pawl 850 is in thedisengaged position, the shaft 830 can rotate in both directions. Thepawl is similar to and operates much like the pawl 750 shown in FIGS.9A-9D and described above. As can be seen by comparing FIG. 10B to FIG.10C, the body 836 is mounted to move axially, along with the shaft 830,so that body and its ring of teeth 838 can be moved axially between afirst location shown in FIG. 10B and a second location shown in FIG.10C.

When the body 836 is in the first location, the engaging edge of thepawl 850 is located between two of the teeth 838 and engages at leastone of the teeth. When the body 836 is moved to the second locationshown in FIG. 10C, the ring of teeth 838 is located so far from theframe 824, that the engaging edge of the pawl 850 does not engage any ofthe teeth 838. Thus movement of the body 836 between its first andsecond locations causes the ring of teeth 838 to engage and disengagethe engaging edge of the pawl. The engaging edge of the pawl 850 and/orthe teeth 838 may be ramped to assist in the reengagement of the pawland the teeth. Or a flange may be provided to support the pawl 850 as inthe system shown in FIG. 9D.

The drive system 834 also has a handle-engaging portion 860. Theillustrated handle-engaging portion 860 includes a series of radialopenings 862 that are sized and shaped to receive a rod-like handle 866that may be inserted by an operator through a pair of opposed openings862. Each illustrated opening 862 has a length measured parallel to theaxis A₁₁ and a width measured perpendicular to a plane (not shown) thatbisects the opening and includes the axis A_(11.) The length is greaterthan the width. In the system shown in FIGS. 10A-10D, the length isconsiderably larger than the diameter of the handle 866, whereas thewidth is only slightly larger than the diameter of the handle 866. Thus,when a handle 866 is inserted into openings 862, the handle can moveaxially through the openings parallel to the axis A₁₁ to a limitedextent, and can not rotate to any great extent relative to the body 836about the axis A₁₁.

When a handle is inserted into the body 836, the operator can use thehandle to apply rotational force in the directions shown by thevertically extending two-headed arrow in FIG. 10A. The force istransmitted from the handle to the shaft 830 via the body 836. Thus, byapplying a torquing force to the handle 866, the operator will urge theshaft 830 to rotate.

The handle 866 can also be used as a lever (first or second classdepending on the direction of tilt) to transmit axially directed forcethat causes the body 836 to move from its first location to its secondlocation. When the handle 866 is tilted toward or away from the frame824, shown by the horizontally extending two-headed arrow in FIG. 10A,so that the longitudinal axis A₁₃ of the handle changes in anglerelative to the axis A₁₁, a portion of the handle 866 pushes on a ring842 that extends around the body 836 and is secured to the frame 824while another portion of the handle 866 pushes on an interior surface864 that defines one of the radial openings 862. The illustrated ring842 is generally cylindrical and is positioned coaxially with respectthe body 836, although other shapes and positions are possible. The ringdefines a radially extending opening 869 through which a portion of thepawl, including the tooth-engaging edge, extends to engage the teeth838. Thus, in the embodiment of FIGS. 10A-10D, tilting the handle 866toward or away from the frame 824 pulls the body 836 outwardly away fromthe frame and causes the ring of teeth 838 to move laterally relative tothe frame 824 from its first location to its second location. (The ring842 serves as a fulcrum when an end of the handle 866 is pulled awayfrom the frame 824 as shown in FIG. 10C. Thus, when the handle 866 ismoved in that way, it acts as a second class lever.)

When the handle 866 is moved laterally to the position shown in FIG.10C, the ring of teeth 838 is pulled away from the pawl 850 so that thepawl no longer engages any of the teeth 838. When the pawl 850 is thusdisengaged, the operator can rotate the body 836 in either. directionabout the axis A₁₁. In turn, the shaft 830 rotates about the axis A₁₁ inthe direction that the handle 866 is rotated. It thus can be seen thatthe operator can both disengage the pawl 850 and cause the shaft 830 torotate while maintaining both hands firmly gripped on the handle 866.

A return spring 880 is provided to urge the shaft 830, body 836 and ringof teeth 838 to return to the first location. This is helpful to assurethat the pawl 850 will normally engage the ring of teeth to preventinadvertent free-spooling of the shaft 830. When an operator releasesthe handle 866, the spring 880 moves the body 836 back toward the frame824 and the engaging edge of the pawl 850 is again received between twoof the teeth 838.

The system of FIGS. 10A-10D includes a quick release system 835conveniently located near the center of a vehicle at the opposite end ofthe shaft 830 from the drive system 834. The quick release system can beused when an operator wants the shaft 830 to rotate freely, such as whenthe operator wants to unwind a chain, strap, or other extensible memberthat is wrapped around the shaft 830.

The illustrated quick release system 835 includes a head or button 871welded or otherwise secured to an end of the shaft 830. The system 835also has a handle-engaging portion 885 that extends around the head 871and is secured to the inner frame portion 824B, for example by a weld.The illustrated handle-engaging portion 885 is generally cylindrical andincludes a series of radial openings 887 that are defined by interiorsurfaces 889, are sized and shaped to receive the rod-like handle 866that may be inserted by an operator through a pair of opposed openings887, and are located outwardly of the head 871 relative to the innerframe portion 824B.

The handle 866 is useful to transmit axially directed force that causesthe shaft 830 and the body 836 to move axially so that body and its ringof teeth 838 can be moved axially between a first location shown in FIG.10B and a second location shown in FIG. 10C. When the free end of thehandle 866 is tilted away from the inner frame portion 824B so that thelongitudinal axis A₁₃ of the handle changes in angle relative to theaxis A₁₁, a portion of the handle 866 pushes on the head 871 whileanother portion of the handle 866 pushes on one of the interior surfaces889 that defines one of the radial openings 887. Thus, in the system ofFIGS. 10A-10C, tilting the free end of the handle 866 away from theinner frame portion 824B pushes the head 871 toward the inner frameportion 824B and pushed body 836 outwardly away from the outer frameportion 824A. One of the interior surfaces 889 serves as a fulcrum whenthe free end of the handle 866 is pulled away from the inner frameportion 824B as shown in FIG. 10C.

When the handle 866 is moved to the position shown at the left side ofin FIG. 10C, the pawl 850 is disengaged so the operator can rotate theshaft 830 about the axis A₁₁ to unwind the chain attached to the spool.The operator thus can remotely disengage the pawl 850 and cause theshaft 830 to free-spool while working at in interior location within thevehicle. In the illustrated system, the head 871 has a larger diameterthan the shaft 830 so the head 871 can serve as a spring retainer. Thereturn spring 880 is located between the head 871 and the inner frameportion 824B to urge the shaft 830 and the body 836 to return to thefirst location.

The system shown in FIGS. 11A and 11 b is similar to the system shown inFIGS. 10A-10D, but incorporates several useful modifications. Theillustrated winch system is shown mounted to a frame 924 of a cargocarrying vehicle, in particular an automobile transport trailer. Thecargo, for example automobiles, is secured to the transport vehicle byan elongated member (not shown). One end of the elongated member issecured to a winch spool 959. The other end of the elongated member isfree so that the elongated member can be secured to the cargo, forexample an automobile. Or the elongated member can extend over or aroundthe cargo as previously described. Used in this second way, a winch cansecure a cargo container or lumber, for example, to a railroad car,truck bed, or deck of a ship (not shown).

A shaft 930 is rotationally mounted relative to the frame 924. The shaft930 can rotate about an axis A₁₄ of rotation to wrap the elongatedmember around the spool 959. The winch system has a drive system 934secured to the shaft 930 to control the rotation of the shaft. Unlikethe system of FIGS. 10A-10D, the spool 959 is not fixed relative to theshaft 930. FIG. 11A shows the spool 959 keyed to the shaft 930 by matingsplines 991, 993 on the shaft and the spool respectively. The splines991 mate with the splines 993 so that the spool 959 rotates with theshaft 930 and vice versa. The spline mounting arrangement allows theshaft 930 to move axially relatively to the spool 959, with the shaftsliding through an opening at the axis of the spool. The spool 959 iscaged between two frame portions 924B and 924C so that the spool cannottravel a significant distance axially. Other mechanical arrangementscould be used to key the spool 959 to the shaft 930 to achieve a similarresult.

The drive system 934 has a body 936 having a generally cylindricalexterior surface 937 that is coaxial with the axis A₁₄. The surface 937defines a ring or series of ratchet teeth 938 spaced around the axis A₁₄at an even distance from the axis. The body 936 is mounted on the shaft930 so that it cannot slide axially relative to the shaft 930 and cannotrotate relative to the shaft 930 such that, when the body 936 is rotatedabout the axis A₁₄, the shaft 930 also rotates. This conveniently isaccomplished by welding the body 936 to an end of the shaft 930.

A pawl 950 is rotationally mounted on an inner portion of the frame 924Aso that it can rotate about an axis between two positions. The pawl 950is shown in an engaged position wherein the pawl engages the series ofratchet teeth 938 such that the shaft 930 can rotate only in onedirection. A release handle (not shown) provided on the pawl 950 can beused to rotate the pawl about its axis to a disengaged position (notshown) wherein the pawl does not engage the series of ratchet teeth 938.When the pawl 950 is in the disengaged position, the shaft 930 canrotate in both directions. The pawl is similar to and operates much likethe pawl 750 shown in FIGS. 9A-9D and described above.

When the body 936 is in the first location, the engaging edge of thepawl 950 is located between two of the teeth 938 and engages at leastone of the teeth. When the body 936 is moved to a second location thatis outwardly of the first location relative to outer frame portion 924A,the ring of teeth 938 is located so far outwardly from the outer frameportion 924A, that the engaging edge of the pawl 950 does not engage anyof the teeth 938. Thus movement of the body 936 between its first andsecond locations causes the ring of teeth 938 to engage and disengagethe engaging edge of the pawl. The engaging edge of the pawl 950 and/orthe teeth 938 may be ramped to assist in the reengagement of the pawland the teeth. Or a flange may be provided to support the pawl 950 as inthe system shown in FIG. 9D.

The drive system 934 also has a handle-engaging portion 960. Theillustrated handle-engaging portion 960 includes a series of radialopenings 962 that are sized and shaped to receive a rod-like handle 966that may be inserted by an operator through a pair of opposed openings962. Each illustrated opening 962 has a length measured parallel to theaxis A₁₄ and a width measured perpendicular to a plane (not shown) thatbisects the opening and includes the axis A_(14.) The length is greaterthan the width. In the system shown in FIGS. 11A-11B, the length isconsiderably larger than the diameter of the handle 966, whereas thewidth is only slightly larger than the diameter of the handle 966. Thus,when a handle 966 is inserted into openings 962, the handle can moveaxially through the openings parallel to the axis A₁₄ to a limitedextent, and can not rotate to any great extent relative to the body 936about the axis A₁₄.

When a handle 966 is inserted into the body 936, the operator can usethe handle to apply rotational force to the shaft 930. The force istransmitted from the handle 966 to the shaft 930 via the body 936. Thus,by applying a torquing force to the handle 966, the operator will urgethe shaft 930 to rotate.

The handle 966 can also be used as a lever (first or second classdepending on the direction of tilt) to transmit axially directed forcethat causes the body 936 to move from its first location to its secondlocation. When the handle 966 is tilted toward or away from the outerframe portion 924A, so that the longitudinal axis A₁₅ of the handlechanges in angle relative to the axis A₁₄, a portion of the handle 966pushes on a ring 942 that extends around the body 936 and is secured tothe outer frame portion 924A while another portion of the handle 966pushes on an interior surface 964 that defines one of the radialopenings 962. The illustrated ring 942 is generally cylindrical and ispositioned coaxially with respect the body 936, although other shapesand positions are possible. The ring defines a radially extendingopening 969 through which a portion of the pawl, including thetooth-engaging edge, extends to engage the teeth 938. Thus, in theembodiment of FIGS. 11A and 11B, tilting the handle 966 toward or awayfrom the outer frame portion 924A pulls the body 936 outwardly away fromthe frame and causes the ring of teeth 938 to move laterally relative tothe outer frame portion 924A from its first location to its secondlocation. (The ring 942 serves as a fulcrum when an end of the handle966 is pulled away from the frame. Thus, when the handle 966 is moved inthat way, it acts as a second class lever.)

When the free end of the handle 966 is moved toward or away from theouter frame portion 924A, the ring of teeth 938 is pulled away from thepawl 950 so that the pawl no longer engages any of the teeth 938. Whenthe pawl 950 is thus disengaged, the operator can rotate the body 936 ineither direction about the axis A₁₄. In turn, the shaft 930 rotatesabout the axis A₁₄ in the direction that the handle 966 is rotated. Itthus can be seen that the operator can both disengage the pawl 950 andcause the shaft 930 to rotate while maintaining both hands firmlygripped on the handle 966.

A return spring 980 is provided to urge the shaft 930, body 936 and ringof teeth 938 to return to the first location. This is helpful to assurethat the pawl 950 will normally engage the ring of teeth to preventinadvertent free-spooling of the shaft 930. When an operator releasesthe handle 966, the spring 980 moves the body 936 back toward the outerframe portion 924A and the engaging edge of the pawl 950 is againreceived between two of the teeth 938.

A secondary rotational drive system is provided by the spool 959. Theillustrated spool has a flange 995 that defines a plurality of radiallyextending openings 997. An operator working near the center of thevehicle can insert the handle 966 into one of the openings 997 and thenuse the handle to rotate the flange 995, which in turn rotates the restof the spool 959 and the shaft 930.

The system of FIGS. 11A and 11D includes two quick release systems. Afirst quick release system 935 is conveniently located near the centerof a vehicle at the opposite end of the shaft 930 from the drive system934. The quick release system 935 can be used when an operator wants theshaft 930 to rotate freely, such as when the operator wants to unwind achain, strap, or other extensible member that is wrapped around thespool 959.

The illustrated first quick release system 935 includes a head or button971 welded or otherwise secured to the inner end of the shaft 930. Thesystem 935 also has a handle-engaging portion 985 that extends aroundthe head 971 and is secured to the inner frame portion 924B, for exampleby a weld. The illustrated handle-engaging portion 985 is generallycylindrical and includes a series of radial openings 987 that aredefined by interior surfaces 989, are sized and shaped to receive therod-like handle 966 that may be inserted by an operator through a pairof opposed openings 987, and are located outwardly of the head 971relative to the inner frame portion 924B.

The handle 966 is useful to transmit axially directed force that causesthe shaft 930 and the body 936 to move axially so that body and its ringof teeth 938 can be moved axially. When the free end of the handle 966is tilted away from the inner frame portion 924B so that thelongitudinal axis A₁₅ of the handle changes in angle relative to theaxis A₁₄, a portion of the handle 966 pushes on the head 971 whileanother portion of the handle 966 pushes on one of the interior surfaces989 that defines one of the radial openings 987. Thus, in the system ofFIGS. 11A and 11B, tilting the free end of the handle 966 away from theinner frame portion 924B pushes the head 971 toward the inner frameportion 924B and pushed body 936 outwardly away from the outer frameportion 924A. One of the interior surfaces 989 serves as a fulcrum whenthe free end of the handle 966 is pulled away from the inner frameportion 924B.

When the handle 966 is used to move the head 971 toward the inner frameportion 924B, the pawl 950 is disengaged so the operator can rotate theshaft 930 about the axis A₁₄ to unwind the chain attached to the spool.The operator thus can remotely disengage the pawl 950 and cause theshaft 930 to free-spool while working at in interior location within thevehicle.

A second quick release system 998 is provided inside the vehicle nearthe outer frame portion 924A. The system includes a disk 999 fixed tothe shaft 930, for example by a weld. The illustrated disk is round andcoaxial with the shaft, although other arrangements are possible. Anopening 1001 is provided through decking 924D or another appropriateframe portion at a location just inwardly, relative to the outer frameportion 924A, from the disk 999. As shown in FIG. 11B, an operator canuse the handle 966 to transmit axially directed force that causes theshaft 930 and the body 936 to move axially so that body and its ring ofteeth 938 can be moved axially. When the free end of the handle 966 istilted away from the outer frame portion 924A to the position shown bybroken lines in FIG. 11B so that the longitudinal axis A₁₅ of the handlechanges in angle relative to the axis A₁₄, a portion of the handle 966pushes on the disk 999 while another portion of the handle 966 pushes onone of the surface that defines the opening 1001. Thus, in the system ofFIGS. 11A and 11B, tilting the free end of the handle 966 away from theouter frame portion 924A pushes the disk 999 toward the outer frameportion 924A and pushed body 936 outwardly away from the outer frameportion 924A. The interior surface that defines of the opening 1001serves as a fulcrum when the free end of the handle 966 is pulled awayfrom the outer frame portion 924A.

When the handle 966 is used to move the disk 999 toward the outer frameportion 924A, the pawl 950 is disengaged so the operator can rotate theshaft 930 about the axis A₁₄ to unwind the chain attached to the spool.The operator thus can remotely disengage the pawl 950 and cause theshaft 930 to free-spool while working at another location in interior ofthe vehicle.

In the illustrated system, the disk 999 also serves as a springretainer. The return spring 980 is located between the disk 999 and theouter frame portion 924A to urge the shaft 930 and the body 936 toreturn to the first location.

Having illustrated and described the principles of the invention inpreferred embodiments, it should be apparent to those skilled in the artthat the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail withoutdeparting from such principles. In particular, a person of ordinaryskill in the art will understand that, in many instances, theillustrated shapes and relationships of elements can be varied or theorientation of elements or groups of elements can be reversed, withoutaltering their fundamental method of operation. For example, althoughthe illustrated winch systems show a pawl pivotally mounted to a frameand an interacting ratchet wheel that rotates with a shaft, the elementscould be reversed such that a ratchet wheel is mounted in a fixedposition relative to a frame and interacts with a pawl carried by amember that rotates with a shaft. Accordingly, I claim all modificationscoming within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

1. A manually driven winch system for use to rotate a shaft that isrotationally mounted on a frame, that has an axis of rotation, and thatis adapted for attachment to an elongated flexible member so that theelongated flexible member can be wrapped around the shaft by rotatingthe shaft about the axis of rotation, the winch system comprising: adrive system secured to the shaft to rotate the shaft about the axis ofrotation, the drive system including (a) a series of ratchet teethspaced around the axis, the drive system being connected to the shaft insuch a manner that the series of ratchet teeth revolves around the axisas the shaft rotates and such that the series of ratchet teeth can moveaxially between a first location and a second location, and (b) ahandle-engaging portion configured to transmit rotational force from ahandle to the shaft to urge the shaft to rotate and configured totransmit axially directed force from the handle to cause the series ofratchet teeth to move from one of the locations to the other location;and a pawl that is mounted on the frame and that is positioned (a) toengage the series of ratchet teeth such that the shaft can rotate inonly one direction when the series of ratchet teeth is in the firstlocation and (b) such that the pawl does not engage the series ofratchet teeth so the shaft can rotate in both directions when the seriesof ratchet teeth is in the second location.
 2. The manually driven winchsystem of claim 1 further comprising a handle adapted to engage thehandle-engaging portion.
 3. The manually driven winch system of claim 1further comprising a spring positioned to urge the series of ratchetteeth toward the first location.
 4. The manually driven winch system ofclaim 1 wherein the drive system includes a body having a surface shapedto provide the series of ratchet teeth.
 5. The manually driven winchsystem of claim 1 wherein the pawl has a support member positioned torest on outermost edges of the ratchet teeth when the series of ratchetteeth is in the second location.
 6. The manually driven winch system ofclaim 1 further comprising a quick release mechanism that is operable tomove the series of ratchet teeth from the first location to the secondlocation and to hold the series of ratchet teeth in the second location.7. The manually driven winch system of claim 1 further comprising atleast one quick release system that includes: a moveable handle-engagingmember that is attached to the shaft for axial movement with the shaftand that has a handle-engaging surface positioned for engagement with ahandle; and a fixed handle-engaging member that is located in a fixedposition relative to the frame and that is configured to support ahandle engaged with the fixed handle-engaging member so that the handleengaged with the fixed handle-engaging member can apply force to thehandle-engaging surface of the moveable handle-engaging member to causethe shaft to move axially and cause the series of ratchet teeth to movefrom one of the locations to the other location.
 8. The manually drivenwinch system of claim 7 wherein: the moveable handle-engaging member isa head located at an end of the shaft; and the fixed handle-engagingmember is configured to hold a portion of a handle in a position inrelation to the frame such that the fixed handle-engaging member canserve as a fulcrum for a handle that is engaged with the fixedhandle-engaging member while asserting force against the handle-engagingsurface to move the shaft axially.
 9. The manually driven winch systemof claim 8 wherein the fixed handle-engaging member is generallycylindrical and defines a series of radial openings that are sized andshaped to receive a handle.
 10. A vehicle for transporting cargo, thevehicle comprising: a frame to support cargo; and at least one manuallyoperated winch system of claim
 1. 11. A manually driven winch systemcomprising: a frame; a shaft that is rotationally mounted on the frame,that has an axis of rotation, and that is adapted for attachment to anelongated flexible member so that the elongated flexible member can bewrapped around the shaft by rotating the shaft about the axis ofrotation; a drive system secured to the shaft to rotate the shaft aboutthe axis of rotation, the drive system including (a) a series of ratchetteeth spaced around the axis, the drive system being connected to theshaft in such a manner that the series of ratchet teeth revolves aroundthe axis as the shaft rotates and such that the series of ratchet teethcan move axially between a first location and a second location, and (b)a handle-engaging portion configured to transmit rotational force from ahandle to the shaft to urge the shaft to rotate and configured totransmit axially directed force from the handle to cause the series ofratchet teeth to move from one of the locations to the other location; apawl that is mounted on the frame and that is positioned (a) to engagethe series of ratchet teeth such that the shaft can rotate in only onedirection when the series of ratchet teeth is in the first location and(b) such that the pawl does not engage the series of ratchet teeth sothe shaft can rotate in both directions when the series of ratchet teethis in the second location; and a fulcrum member that is located in afixed position relative to the frame such that the fulcrum member canserve as a fulcrum for a handle that is engaged with the handle-engagingportion and operated to transmit axially directed force that causes theshaft to move axially.
 12. The manually driven winch system of claim 11wherein the fulcrum member extends outwardly from the frame and aroundthe handle-engaging portion.
 13. The manually driven winch system ofclaim 12 wherein the fulcrum member is a ring that: is generallycylindrical and is generally coaxial with the handle-engaging portion;and defines an opening through which at least a portion of the pawlextends to engage the ratchet teeth.
 14. A manually driven winch systemcomprising: a frame; a shaft that is rotationally mounted on the frame,that has an axis of rotation, and that is adapted for attachment to anelongated flexible member so that the elongated flexible member can bewrapped around the shaft by rotating the shaft about the axis ofrotation; a drive system secured to the shaft to rotate the shaft aboutthe axis of rotation, the drive system including (a) a series of ratchetteeth spaced around the axis, the drive system being connected to theshaft in such a manner that the series of ratchet teeth revolves aroundthe axis as the shaft rotates and such that the series of ratchet teethcan move axially between a first location and a second location, and (b)a handle-engaging portion configured to transmit rotational force from ahandle to the shaft to urge the shaft to rotate and configured totransmit axially directed force from the handle to cause the series ofratchet teeth to move from one of the locations to the other location; apawl that is mounted on the frame and that is positioned (a) to engagethe series of ratchet teeth such that the shaft can rotate in only onedirection when the series of ratchet teeth is in the first location and(b) such that the pawl does not engage the series of ratchet teeth sothe shaft can rotate in both directions when the series of ratchet teethis in the second location; and at least one quick release system thatincludes a moveable handle-engaging member that is a radially extendingdisk attached to the shaft for axial movement with the shaft and thathas a handle-engaging surface positioned for engagement by a handle anda fixed handle-engaging member that is a portion of the frame thatdefines an opening that is shaped to receive a portion of a handle andthat is positioned in relation to the disk such that the fixedhandle-engaging member can serve as a fulcrum for a handle that isengaged with the fixed handle-engaging member while asserting forceagainst the handle-engaging surface of the disk to move the shaftaxially and cause the series of ratchet teeth to move from one of thelocations to the other location.
 15. The manually driven winch system ofclaim 14 wherein: the fixed handle-engaging member is decking materialthat defines at least one opening that is sized and shaped to receive ahandle; and the disk is located between the ends of the shaft and isconcentric to the shaft.
 16. A vehicle for transporting, the vehiclecomprising: a frame to support cargo; and one or more manually operatedwinch systems, at least one of which comprises (a) a shaft that isrotationally mounted on the frame, (b) a flexible elongated memberadapted to engage the cargo and secure the cargo to the frame, theelongated member being connected to the shaft so that the elongatedflexible member can be wrapped around the shaft by rotating the shaft toremove slack in the elongated member and exert force on the cargo, (c) adrive system secured to the shaft to rotate the shaft about an axis ofrotation, the drive system including a series of ratchet teeth spacedaround the axis, the drive system being connected to the shaft in such amanner that the series of ratchet teeth revolves around the axis as theshaft rotates and such that the series of ratchet teeth can move axiallybetween a first location and a second location, and a handle-engagingportion configured to transmit rotational force from a handle to theshaft to urge the shaft to rotate and configured to transmit axiallydirected force from the handle to cause the series of ratchet teeth tomove from one of the locations to the other location, (d) a pawl mountedon the frame that supports the shaft, the pawl being positioned toengage the series of ratchet teeth such that the shaft can rotate inonly one direction when the series of ratchet teeth is in the firstlocation and such that the pawl does not engage the series of ratchetteeth so the shaft can rotate in both directions when the series ofratchet teeth is in the second location, and (e) at least one quickrelease system that includes a moveable handle-engaging member that isattached to the shaft for axial movement with the shaft and that has ahandle-engaging surface positioned for engagement by a handle and afixed handle-engaging member that is located in a fixed positionrelative to the frame and that is configured to support a handle engagedwith the fixed handle-engaging member so that the handle engaged withthe fixed handle-engaging member can apply force to the handle-engagingsurface of the moveable handle-engaging member to cause the shaft tomove axially and cause the series of ratchet teeth to move from one ofthe locations to the other location.
 17. A manually driven winch systemcomprising: a frame; a shaft that is rotationally mounted on the frame,that has an axis of rotation, and that is adapted for attachment to anelongated flexible member so that the elongated flexible member can bewrapped around the shaft by rotating the shaft about the axis ofrotation; a drive system secured to the shaft to rotate the shaft aboutthe axis of rotation, the drive system including a series of ratchetteeth spaced around the axis, the drive system being connected to theshaft in such a manner that the series of ratchet teeth revolves aroundthe axis as the shaft rotates and such that the series of ratchet teethcan move axially between a first location and a second location, and ahandle-engaging portion configured to transmit rotational force from ahandle to the shaft to urge the shaft to rotate; a pawl that is mountedon the frame and that is positioned to engage the series of ratchetteeth such that the shaft can rotate in only one direction when theseries of ratchet teeth is in the first location and such that the pawldoes not engage the series of ratchet teeth so the shaft can rotate inboth directions when the series of ratchet teeth is in the secondlocation; and at least one quick release system that includes a moveablehandle-engaging member that is attached to the shaft for axial movementwith the shaft and that has a handle-engaging surface positioned forengagement by a handle and a fixed handle-engaging member that islocated in a fixed position relative to the frame and that is configuredto support a handle engaged with the fixed handle-engaging member sothat the handle engaged with the fixed handle-engaging member can applyaxially directed force to the handle-engaging surface of the moveablehandle-engaging member to cause the shaft to move axially and cause theseries of ratchet teeth to move from one of the locations to the otherlocation.
 18. A vehicle for transporting cargo, the vehicle comprising:a frame to support cargo; and at least one manually driven winch systemof claim 17.